LEWISTON — The Lewiston Public Library will be the site of “Building Community” when it teams up with Project Tipping Point, a social enterprise located in downtown Lewiston, on Monday, Jan. 29. Library doors at 200 Lisbon St. will open at 5:15 p.m.

The event will run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., and participants will explore the many ways Lewiston and Auburn are working together across the river for a vibrant future, as well as how individuals can have a role in community building acts and activities that build the local community.

“Part of the Lewiston Public Library mission is ‘connecting our community,’” said Marcela Peres, Lewiston Public Library director. “Our wonderful community of neighbors, thinkers and readers includes people from both Lewiston and Auburn, and we welcome any opportunity to facilitate conversation and community-building. We look forward to working with Project Tipping Point to bring people together for meaningful discussion about the future of the Twin Cities.”

The Building Community event is being organized by members of Project Tipping Point’s TIP L/A cohort, community members who live and work in L-A who are more than two thirds through their cohort learning. Since December 2016, seven local leaders have been in seven sessions where learning has focused on leadership, networks, systems change and skills to support community transformation.

Each TIP L/A member hosted small conversations in November and December, and the Building Community event is an extension of their community engagement experiences, learning and contributions to Lewiston and Auburn.

“These local leaders facilitated conversations about the notions of community, L-A and identity, bringing people together to explore these topics in the post-merger vote in November,” said Shanna Cox, Project Tipping Point founder. “We believe community isn’t restricted or built on municipal lines, and wanted to push past the debate and divisiveness our community experienced, which seemed to focus on defining the differences between Lewiston and Auburn. We wanted to create an opportunity for people to talk about what unites L-A, and what will ultimately build the community of L-A.”

The event is free and open to the public, with light snacks and beverages provided. The event will be a combination of large and small group conversations and activities, with space for being creative as participants create together a sense of building community.

Project Tipping Point is a social enterprise established in 2016 in Lewiston. Through the TIP L/A Leader Development Program, professional services and community events, they seek to create, connect and engage a robust community network for positive change within Lewiston-Auburn.

For more information, visit gotippingpoint.com or contact Shanna Cox at [email protected].

Lewiston Public Library (Lewiston Public Library photo)